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A recall has been issued on select Ford F, -4.40% Bronco SUVs, including some already in customers’ hands and some waiting to be delivered.
The recall pertains to 2023 Bronco Wildtrak and 2022 Bronco Raptor models, and the problem involves a steering-gear part that may be cracked and could affect a driver’s ability to turn the steering wheel, according to a report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The report said there “have been no reports of accident or injury associated with this concern.” A total of 343 vehicles are affected by the recall, the report said.
In a statement provided to MarketWatch, Ford said: “On March 3rd, we proactively reached out to 58 affected customers, informing them not to drive their vehicles, and provided them with the option of a loan vehicle. Another ~280 [vehicles] are at dealerships or are held at our plant and will be repaired before they are in customer hands.”
Ford added that most of the 58 affected customers “are now in loaner vehicles and are having their vehicle fixed as we speak.”
The Ford Bronco series remains hugely popular. Ford delivered 97,315 Bronco SUVs to customers in 2022, according to a Fox News report, which noted that the number sold “could have been higher if not for production constraints.”


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UPDATE: DICE's next-gen Mirror's Edge is in the "early stages of development", fresh information from EA has revealed. It'll launch for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
The game will serve as a reboot for the franchise and tell an "all-new origin story" for heroine Faith.
"We introduced Mirror's Edge and Faith to gamers five years ago, and we've waited for the right moment to reunite them," said producer Sara Jansson. "Thanks to the Frostbite engine and a new generation of platforms, we are now able to deliver a richer world that players will be able to explore with a new level of freedom in both movement and action."
ORIGINAL STORY: Battlefield developer DICE has announced its much-rumoured Mirror's Edge sequel on stage at EA's E3 2013 press conference.
The game is "Coming... when it's ready," a teaser trailer stated.
Mirror's Edge (there was no "2" in the game's logo as previously expected) looks exactly as we'd hoped - free-running sections, hand-to-hand combat and lots of stylish red and white surroundings.
The original game's heroine Faith was also shown to be returning.
A Mirror's Edge sequel has been rumoured to be in the works for some time. It recently popped up on several Amazon websites, and then EA's own website. Oops.
Watch the teaser trailer below.

domain: news


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Click For Photo: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/21/11/6469004-0-image-a-61_1542799342877.jpgClick For Video: https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/2018/11/20/5738609115284681410/1024x576_MP4_5738609115284681410.mp4
Dolce & Gabbana has cancelled a high-profile runway show in Shanghai following controversy over its new ad campaign and derogatory remarks allegedly made by its designer Stefano Gabbana.
The Italian fashion brand has been accused of racism after releasing a trio of videos featuring an Asian model trying to eat Italian food with chopsticks. The videos were meant to promote its new campaign DG Loves China and the show originally to be held today.
Incident - Screengrabs - Argument - Gabbana - Instagram
Following the incident, screengrabs of an alleged argument with Gabbana went viral on Instagram, where the 57-year-old designer was seen making disrespectful comments about China. The brand and designer have said that their Instagram accounts were hacked.
The remarks were reposted by London-based fashion blogger Michaela Tranova, who was calling out Gabbana about the promotional videos, which showed a giggling Chinese woman dressed in new season D&G attempting to eat giant portions of pizza and pasta with chopsticks while a male narrator makes crude innuendos.
Videos - Dolce - Gabbana - Eating - Chopsticks
The videos were captioned: 'Welcome to Episode 1 with Dolce & Gabbana's Eating with Chopsticks. First up today is how to use this stick shaped cutlery to eat your GREAT traditional Pizza Margherita.'
'The whole world knows that the Chinese eat with chopsticks and that the Westerners with a fork and knife!!! Is this racism?' the designer was seen allegedly saying via direct message on Instagram.
Brand - Designer - Statement - Instagram - Accounts
The brand and the designer immediately released a statement saying that their Instagram accounts have been hacked and their legal office was investigating.
'We are very sorry for any distress caused by these unauthorized posts, comments and direct messages. We have nothing but respect for China and the people of China,' the post...
Wake Up To Breaking News!


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Mobsta has announced that UK Commercial Director Maxwell Brown has been promoted to become the company’s first Chief Revenue Officer.
Mobsta the location data experts and exclusive partner of Ericsson Emodo announces 6 new hires to its London team following a surge in demand from its agencies and clients post GDPR to work with compliant location data partners.
We are delighted today to announce the arrival of Matt Longley at Mobsta who has joined us as Client Director. Matt joins us from Vizeum where he was a Group Head responsible for the Camelot, TSB, Weetabix and Merlin accounts. Matt will be launching our new section aimed at specifically targeting start-up and new digital clients with a view to creating their own tailored audience segments to help launch their proposition with a more targeted focus via Mobsta's Emodo* platform.
8th February 2017: Today, location targeting and data specialist, Mobsta, announces that it has been ranked number one in an independent ranking of geolocation providers in the UK. The test, run by MediaCom, was designed to determine the validity of the claims of many of the companies, that they offer the best reach and accuracy, so that the agency could partner with the right provider. Mobsta’s first place ranking makes it the most accurate geolocation partner for brands today.
Mobsta, the location targeting specialist for mobile and tablet, announces today it has entered into an exclusive 3-year license agreement with Placecast, a location-based mobile DMP and DSP.
Digital Cinema Media (DCM) has announced a new commercial partnership with dynamic mobile display company, Mobsta. The deal seeks to enhance cinema campaigns to include a more dynamic and targeted approach with the use of mobile devices in the space.
DCM and Mobsta will work together to offer enhanced mobile strategy solutions as part of wider campaigns and aim to deliver proven results to clients as part of the agreement.


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Accordingly, the company’s Hanford, California factory should soon be on track. Work on it is believed to be starting in “30 to 60 days,” with production underway by December. The company’s second car, the FF81, is now expected to get an unveiling at a showcase in Beijing.
We’ve asked Faraday Future for comment, although it’s no secret that it has been holding a global supplier summit to reassure partners. If there was any time to disclose funding and outline the company’s roadmap, it’s now. The question is whether or not Faraday can make good on these updated plans, provided they’re accurate. They suggest the company is on the mend, but it has a history of making promises it later has to reconsider — the only firm proof will come when finished cars leave the factory.


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Three window washers dangle from rope lines above the sidewalk at the George Street (Sydney) Apple retail store on Monday night. Several passersby snapped photos of the operation and posted them on various social media sites, including Enzo Paoli who shared this photo on Instagram. The 30-foot tall glass panels were the tallest in the chain when the store opened in June 2008. The glass windows are a key element of the store’s design, and have helped the store become an icon in city center—hence, the need to keep the glass spotless. view from up top
After seven years of agonizing debate, funding battles and design revisions, an architect has now issued a new rendering for the proposed Midtown Plaza development in downtown Rochester (NY) that includes an Apple store that breaks every one of the tech company’s architectural and design rules. The rendering is obviously speculative, yet its use of a textured metal storefront, narrow glass panels and an oddly-positioned Apple logo violates the unwritten rules of depicting another company’s trademarked architecture. The renderings were prepared by the New York-based firm of Philip Michael Brown Studio, and show the Apple store on a prominent corner, adjacent to a movie theater. Interestingly, the rendering is posted on-line in three versions, both with and without a stone wall above the metallic-looking storefront, and with-and-without an Apple logo. In all versions, a spiral glass staircase is visible behind the storefront glass, along with wall-mounted product counters. The project arises from the decline of the 1962-era Midtown Plaza complex on nine acres in the downtown area. The city acquired title to the complex of buildings in 2008. Since then, the site has been vacant as the city worked to raise funding, approve designs and demolish old buildings.
While most speculation about new Apple stores is focused outside the United States these days, a job listing has appeared pointing to the center of Michigan for a future store. Today Apple gave a Valentine’s Day gift to the city of Lansing with the formal announcement of job openings at a store somewhere in the city. At the same time, a second job listing has confirmed earlier speculation of a future Ohio store. Lansing is a city of 113,000 nearly in the middle of the lower peninsula, with Apple stores just over an hour away both east (Detroit region) and west (Grand Rapids). As usual, today’s listing doesn’t provide a specific location for the future store. However, the Lansing Mall and Eastwood Towne Center are possibilities within the city limits, as is the super-regional Meridian Mall just 15 minutes east in Okemos. The future store will fill in Apple store coverage for the mid-state and bring the state’s total to six stores. Based on past timelines, the Lansing store could open this fall. In another job listing posted today, Apple confirmed an earlier report of a future store in Dayton (Ohio). Again, the exact location isn’t known, and the store could open this fall. Update: Within days a commenter noted a black barricade across space #4 at Eastwood Towne Center, a 6,019 square-foot location that is listed as “leased” on the mall’s Web site. On February 20th a building permit application was located that confirmed the store’s location. read more…
Even as some of Apple most talented retail store executives have left the company, one exec is moving up. Today the company announced that Denise Young Smith has been promoted from VP Global Retail Stores to head the company’s Human Resources Department. The promotion dovetails with the promotion of company HR head Joel Podolny to dean of Apple University, an internal leadership development program begun in 2008. In an email to Bloomberg News confirming the promotion, Apple spokesperson Christine Huguet said, “We are excited that Denise Young Smith will expand her role to lead Apple’s worldwide human resources organization.” Young Smith, 58, is an original Apple retail employee, recruited in 2000 as director of retail HR and eventually promoted to retail vice-president. She graduated from Grambling State University (La.) and received a degree in communications and journalism. In college she also participated in dance, music and theater activities, talents that she practices today as a singer. Young Smith has performed at Carnegie Hall, according to her bio, at overseas music festivals and in the San Jose area. Young Smith is a frequent visitor to retail store grand openings, particularly as Apple has expanded internationally. Few retail executives have moved upward through the company, particularly in recent times. In fact, since Sr. VP Retail Ron Johnson left the company in June 2011, several other top and mid-level executives departed rather than seek promotions. The retail Sr. VP position has been vacant for the past 15 months, but Burberry exec Angela Ahrendts was appointed to the spot last year, and is due begin work in May.
Apple’s retail store expansion into China has been slow and methodical, and has not reached any of its publicly-stated goals, leaving store watchers with little to see. But now tipsters say two stores are in different phases of construction in Chongqing central China, with one store possibly opening this year. The region is home to 28 million residents, and is a major transport hub on the Yangtze River. The nearest Apple store is MixC Chengdu, about four hours away by road. The first future store is under construction at the Paradise Walk mall, one of the city’s most upscale shopping destinations. The store will reportedly resemble the existing IFC Mall (Hong Kong) store on two levels, and construction is underway behind bamboo poles and screening. The second store will be at Guotai Square, a new development. This store will resembled the Pudong (Shanghai) store, but construction appears to have stalled for now. Former Sr. VP retail Ron Johnson set a goal of having 25 Apple stores open by February 2012. And last year current CEO Tim Cook said he wanted to double the number of China stores within two years. Despite those efforts, there are just 11 stores in the country now, with reported future locations only in Dalian and Guangzhou. According to tipsters, the Paradise Walk store could open by year’s end, but the timeline for the Guotai Square store isn’t known. photos
Apple enthusiasts living in Dayton (Ohio) have felt lonely for the past 13 years without a retail store, and downright sad as rumors of a possible store have come and gone. Now, there may be sunshine on the horizon after a black construction barricade has appeared at The Greene shopping mall, and a tipser reveals that several retailers have been relocated to create a prime space, both Apple trademarks. The first Dayton store rumors surfaced in 2004 and centered on the Dayton Mall, then undergoing an expansion. Two years later The Greene opened, and once again rumors arose about an Apple presence. In the meantime, Apple product users have had to travel to the Kenwood Towne Centre (Cincinnati, 45 minutes) or Easton Town Center (Columbus, 1:17) stores for products or service. The Greene is just 10 miles southeast of downtown Dayton along I-675 the the suburb of Beavercreek. If construction is underway now behind the barricade, the Apple store could open this fall. Update: Within a week Apple posted a job listing for Dayton, but without a specific location, and a black barricade was noted in front of space C15. The store could open in fall 2014 read more…
Visitors to the Third Street Promenade (S. Calif.) store have spotted air sampling equipment on the product display tables, an indication the company is attempting to trace the source of bad odors that have been plaguing the store. The persistent and foul odor appeared several weeks ago, and was publicized last week in a post on the financial-oriented The Street Web site. Because of the large number of daily visitors to each store—3,000 on average—it is not uncommon for stores to have some type of odor. However, now the company has hired a company to test the air using Sensidyne Gil-Air air sample pumps at TSP. The gear is commonly used to collect airborne asbestos, lead and other contaminants for lab analysis. Here the equipment is being used to collect all the airborne particles to help solve the odor mystery. Like other Apple stores that use an under-floor ventilation system, the TSP store has ductwork and a trench underneath the stone floor. The space also contains a sump pump to prevent the accumulation of water in the space. photo
At its regular weekly meeting today the San Francisco Planning Commission approved the proposed glass and steel design for a downtown Apple store that would replace the nearby existing store that opened in February 2004. After almost two hours of debate, the commissioners voted 5-1 to approve the store, but included an amendment asking the architects to revisit the rear plaza’s accessibility features. The commissioners were nearly unanimous in their praise for the building design, but were concerned about the process of relocating the historic Ruth Asawa fountain, and inelegant outdoor elevators proposed to provide access to the plaza behind the store. The Apple store agenda items kicked off with Rick Militello, director of Apple retail store development, introducing the store design. He said it would be “the flagship” for Apple, and added, “This will be more iconic than the glass cube that you might be familiar with in New York City.” Foster + Partners architect James McGrath then gave a short walk-through of the store, and then the commissioners began their questions and discussion. On the subject of the fountain, one commissioner asked that their vote include an amendment to carefully preserve and move the fountain. However, a commission staffer pointed out that Apple had already agreed to those conditions at yesterday’s Historic Preservation Board meeting. That group approved the store design 6-1. The Planning Commission tied in voting on a procedural motion related to the store’s conformance with city zoning regulations. That vote means the city’s Board of Supervisors will make the final decision on the store project, and they are expected to approve it. The store could open in 2015. details
During a meeting with the president of Turkey today, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that a retail store will open in the country during April, and described it as having features that aren’t present at other stores in the chain. Accompanied by other company executives, Cook met with Abdullah Gül for a second time in a year to discuss the government’s purchase of 10 million iPads to equip all of the country’s schools. The presence of a retail store in Turkey is widely believed to be one of the government’s requirements for closing the $4 billion deal. Turkey’s demographics and location had made it an unlikely choice for a store, especially a high-profile location, and particularly in light of other more tech-advanced countries without Apple stores (but see comments). Cook explained Apple’s historical focus on the education market, and in particular that the retail stores have always been focused on education and training. Insiders say the store is under construction now at the huge Zorlu Center development on the European side of Istanbul. The store will feature a rectangular glass entrance on the plaza of the mall, and two underground levels of retail space. During the meeting Gül told Cook that Turkey has a young and dynamic population that could support Apple’s retail stores. He added that as worker incomes increase, so would Apple’s store revenues. As reported on the government’s official Web page, Gül also raised the issue of creating Turkish-localized keyboards, opening Apple research and development facilities within the country, and improving developer support. Cook told the president that iPads and iPhones have become necessities of modern life, and called on the government to exempt them from the country’s luxury tax, usually 18 percent. video clip
Ahead of a hearing this week by city officials, Apple has submitted revised architectural designs for an expanded San Francisco (Calif.) retail store, tweaking the storefront to include fortress-like rolling glass doors to better blend into the neighborhood. Apple’s legal team also delivered a sharply-worded rebuke to a local workers’ union that was critical of the design, calling their comments “flatly false” and “deliberately misleading.” The bulk of Apple’s original design for a two-level, stainless steel and glass store in the city’s downtown remains the same. But in response to concerns by members of the city’s Architectural Heritage Commission, architects Foster + Partners redesigned the all-glass façade to include thicker vertical framing elements. They added two full-height doors—44.5 feet tall—in the center of the façade, capable of being opened when the weather permits. A narrow building to the left of the main retail space is still clad with stone, with a paneling configuration that provides a transition from the existing adjacent building. The city’s Planning Commission will consider the revised design and other matters related to the project at a meeting this Thursday. read more…
An enormously wide and suspiciously white plywood barricade has appeared along a retail street in Walnut Creek (N. Calif.), announcing that the existing Apple store two blocks away will eventually move into much larger quarters. The future expansion store is part of a $250 million, multi-phase redevelopment of the existing Macerich Broadway Plaza mall in the downtown, approved by city planning officials just last week. The existing Apple store opened in July 2003 in a 30-foot wide space that was adequately sized at the time. But like other stores of the era, it has steadily grown crowded with visitors. The future store will occupy a 75-foot wide space that spans a combined 13,200 square-feet on the ground floor and in a partial upper-level, back-of-house space. That would provide about quadruple the space of the current store. Light construction is now underway behind the barricade, and schedules filed with the city indicate the store could open in late 2015. Update: A commenter notes alternate plans for the space described here. But information about the move is authentic, so another space (Bldg. 6) is a possibility. photos
Supported by the annual holiday shopping season, and buoyed by strong Mac and iPad sales, Apple’s retail stores posted record revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2014, along with the chain’s second-best profits. The results came despite a leveling off of average per-store revenues over the past three years—Q1 now typically hovers around $17 billion, and other quarters range around $13 billion. The company itself reported record revenues, helped by strong international sales, including a year-over-year 29 percent increase in China revenue. The company reported revenues of $57.6 billion, generating a profit of $13.1 billion. Sales of the iPad nearly doubled from the previous quarter, and iPhone sales were up 51 percent. The retail store revenues totaled $7.0 billion for the holiday quarter, which is always the chain’s best sales period. That figure bested the previous record of Q1 of 2013. Profit totaled $1.7 billion, just short of the record $1.8 billion in Q1 2012. In a conference call with financial analysts today, CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the company remodeled six stores during the quarter and opened four new stores. He said 114 million people visited the stores during the quarter, just short of the Q1 2012 record of 121 million visitors. Oppenheimer mentioned Apple’s implementation of iBeacon in the company’s stores, and noted how it might remind a visitor near an iPhone display to check for upgrade or trade-in offers. There was no mention of imminent store grand openings, and no mention of how many stores will open during 2014. charts
Apple retail stores participated in the celebration of the Macintosh computer’s 30th anniversary, with a special window display, commemorative black T-shirts and new name badges for employees. Steve Jobs introduced the ground-breaking computer in 1984 that leaped beyond the Apple II, helping to spark the birth of the personal computer revolution. As part of the anniversary celebration, today the company held a special music event for headquarters employees and posted a Web retrospective of the Mac’s development. The window display appears to re-use the LED panel installed for the holiday season. photos
A high-profile consumer rights attorney has filed a lawsuit against Apple on behalf of three men who claim retail store employees refused to process their credit card transaction unless they provided personal identification, including their residence ZIP Code. That procedure violates Massachusetts law, the suit says, and the attorney asks for class-action status to represent all affected customers. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court (Illinois) last week by attorney Joseph Siprut, and claims the men have been receiving unwanted marketing mail from Apple as a result of the information collection. It also claims that Apple has been selling the plaintiffs’ personally identifiable information (PII) to other companies without compensating the men. Specifically, plaintiffs Adam Christensen, Jeffrey Scolnick and William Farrell shopped at separate Apple stores in Massachusetts during late 2012 and early 2013, and each used a credit card to make an unspecified purchase. “As a condition of using their credit cards,” the lawsuit states, “Plaintiffs were required by Apple to enter personal identification information associated with the credit card, including their full and complete zip codes. Apple would not allow Plaintiff to complete their purchases without supplying such information.” The lawsuit does not describe where or how the information was entered by the men. read more
Despite the amazing architecture and spectacular interior design, there are critics of the future San Francisco 2 (N. Calif.) Apple retail store, including a labor union that’s already at odds with Apple over its choice of security services and its future headquarters building. In a 27-page letter to the city planning department, the Service Employees International Union — United Service Workers West (SEIU) doesn’t explain precisely why a labor union—usually concerned with wage and benefit issues—is focused on the planning process for a retail store. And in an email, a union spokesperson declined to provide an explanation beyond the text of the letter. The San Francisco Apple store will replace and expand the overcrowded two-level store that opened in 2004. Apple’s architects are now guiding the project through the city’s planning process, including several public hearings and private reviews. In the letter, attorneys for SEIU raised objections to the future store for a wide range of reasons. Primarily, the group objects to any attempt to bypass or provide exemptions for the required environmental reviews, calling the process “rushed.” But SEIU also raised issues of floor area ratios, window bird strikes and air quality during and after construction. They also raised the issue of a rooftop observation deck, required for the existing Levis store building but never constructed. “This is a key public amenity, and it must not continue to be ignored and discarded,” the union stated. Download (pdf) the union’s letter for many more details. read more


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Huawei unveiled its Balong 5000 5G modem Thursday and says the silicon will be integral to its first 5G smartphones, to be launched at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.
The modem is widely reported to be shown off in Huawei's foldable P30 Pro smartphone at mobile World Congress.
"This chipset supports a broad range of 5G products in addition to smartphones, including home broadband devices, vehicle-mounted devices, and 5G modules," the vendor said in a statement, indicating the breadth of its ambitions for the new wireless technology. (See A 5G Device Timeline for 2019).
Huawei says that the unique selling point of the Balong 5000 is that it is the first multi-mode 5G chipset. That is, the chip supports 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G on a single chip. The Balong also supports Sub-6GHz 5G and high-band millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G on the chip.
Huawei claims that the Balong 500 can achieve downloads ten times faster than the "top 4G LTE speeds" achieved today. It is claiming peak downloads of 4.6 Gbit/s for sub-6GHz and up to 6.5-Gbit/s for mmWave. Like many 5G claims, however, these claims have not been independently tested yet. (See Getting Real About Mobile 5G Speeds.)
But, the Huawei numbers would be mind-blowingly fast, even compared to Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) stated current top speed of 900-Mbit/s for its 5G Home service in the US. In fact, Ookla found the average download speed over fixed (e.g., largely wired) broadband in the US was 95.25 Mbit/s in the third quarter of 2018. (See Verizon Sets Launch of '5G Home' and Verizon's Vestberg Mum on 2019 Capex but Ebullient on 5G Prospects.)
All this puts Huawei into direct competition with Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM), which already has products using its X50 5G modem launched in the US. (See AT&T's Nighthawk 5G: Potential Download Could Cover a Wide Range of Speeds.)
And getting to sell 5G phones in the US could be a vexed question for Huawei. Currently, American users have to revert to Amazon or Ebay to pick up unlocked devices to use. None of the major US operators carry Huawei smartphones and they have been dropped by major retailers like Best Buy. (See Huawei, ZTE Face US Federal Ban and Best Buy to Drop Huawei in Another Blow to US Ambitions – Report.)
— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading


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MILAN — Diesel is expanding its home collection via licenses with Foscarini for lamps and Moroso for furniture.
Under the four-year licenses, the products will be rolled out in Europe and the U.S. The new pieces will be presented in Milan during the city’s international furniture and design exhibition, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, in April. Last year, the company inked a license with Zucchi for a home textile collection.
“This is one of the most elaborate and most thought-out projects that has taken more than five years to see the light,” said Diesel chief Renzo Rosso. “I want to revolutionize the furniture industry, and bring the fast pace of fashion to it.”
The idea, he said, is to “dress up” furniture and change that dress as much and as often as possible, depending on the mood or the guests. “It’s a way to express yourself, just as you do with clothes,” he said. For example, a lamp or an armchair can have a new look by slipping on a new fabric.
The furniture line will include different-size sofas, two chairs, two armchairs, two tables, stools, dressers and mirrors. “It will all be rock ’n’ roll, with rivets, buckles and in line with our style,” said Rosso, who, in two years, expects sales of 10 million euros, or $12.8 million at current exchange rate, for each new license.
With Foscarini, there will be 16 lamps in fabrics, steel or glass. Retail prices will range from 200 to 700 euros, or $256 to $897. “But there will be interchangeable pieces that cost 30 euros ($39) and will alter the look,” said Rosso. Sofas will cost from 300 to 4,000 euros, or $384 to $5,125. The collections will be distributed at about 500 wholesale doors and at Diesel stores.
Leveraging its growing home collection, the next step for Diesel is the opening of additional hotels, most likely in Milan and New York. Diesel operates the Pelican in Miami.


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Seattle Center Festál has brought Seattleites together through the celebration of so many different cultures this year. The wonderful annual event series is set to cap with Diwali this November but before then, visitors can experience a Hmong New Year celebration. Here’s what to expect.
Seattle Hmong New Year is presented in partnership with Hmong Association of Washington (HAW). It is set to take place on Saturday, November 4th at the Armory Food & Event Hall.
View this post on Instagram
The festival “celebrates the end of the harvest season with intricate clothing, dance, food, and more.”
According to Seattle Center, Hmong New Year is the biggest festive holiday celebrated withinHmong communities. It traditionally lasts for ten days, but has been shortened in the US.
A popular part of the Hmong New Year is, ‘Pov Pob’ which consists of tossing ball between two people, as a form of courtship.
Seattle Center Festál events are free and open to the public. Keep in mind that food and any goods you want to purchase will be an additional cost.
So, mark your calendars and get ready to experience a new kind of New Year!
When: Saturday, November 4th
Where: 305 Harrison St


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04 Aug Amazon’s Entertainment Business Has Multiple Generative AI Initiatives Underway, CEO Says [Variety]
BY TODD SPANGLER
August 4, 2023 | Amazon CEO Andy Jassy enthused about the potential of generative AI technology to cut costs and create brand-new user experiences — saying every team in the company is working on multiple projects in the area, including in its entertainment business.
On the tech giant’s second-quarter earnings call Thursday, Jassy said, “Inside Amazon, every one of our teams is working on building generative AI applications that reinvent and enhance their customers’ experience.” That includes multiple projects in its entertainment business, AWS, its advertising business and in Amazon’s devices business: “You can just imagine what we’re working on with respect to Alexa there.”
Generative AI refers to a type of artificial-intelligence technology that can create new text, images, videos or synthetic data based on massive data sets. Jassy said generative AI “is going to be at the heart of what we do. It’s a significant investment and focus for us.”


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/2/2014 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Memo to drivers: Gas up this weekend.
At least, that's the suggestion from one local gas retailer after a Friday that saw prices at the pump fluctuate more than 13 cents a litre.
'Either everybody follows or the price collapses down to what it was before. That's what seems to be happening'-- Doug Everett, chairman, Domo Gasoline Corp.
"The rack (wholesale) price has gone up substantially in the last two weeks," noted Doug Everett, chairman of Domo Gasoline Corp. "In fact, it jumped two cents (on Thursday). It has left retailers with no margins."
As a result, prices in Winnipeg jumped from 111.9 to 124.9 Friday morning at the majority of pumps in the city. By late afternoon, however, prices had fallen back down to the 111.9 range -- mostly because not all retailers followed suit with the majors, including Esso, Petro-Canada and Shell.
For example, Everett had called to raise prices at a few key Domo locations, only to retreat later Friday.
"Either everybody follows or the price collapses down to what it was before," Everett explained. "That's what seems to be happening."
But Everett said wholesale prices will continue to put upward pressure on pump prices. For example, under Domo's ongoing promotion for Mondays and Thursdays -- where five cents is knocked off each litre -- the company was selling at a loss. "By a few cents, actually," Everett said.
Everett said he would count on prices to jump again early next week, back to the 125-cent range.
"It may be advisable to fill up this weekend," he said.
In the U.S., meanwhile, the price of regular-grade gasoline has jumped 17 cents a gallon in the last 21 days. The five per cent jump means U.S. consumers will pay an average $3.45 a gallon, versus $3.28 a month ago.
Experts predict prices south of the border will peak at about $3.75 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
Higher crude oil prices and lower production are driving up costs at the pump.


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Oct 25 (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc reported a wider third-quarter net loss on Wednesday, on higher costs and onetime items, and raised its outlook for full-year sales of its key cystic fibrosis drugs.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company posted a net loss of $103 million, or 41 cents a share, compared with a loss of $39 million, or 16 cents a share, a year earlier.
It partly attributed the loss to an upfront payment of $160 million related to an acquisition. Research and development costs also rose 50 percent, it said.
Excluding one-time items, Vertex said it earned 53 cents per share.
The company said it now expects full-year cystic fibrosis product sales of $2.1 billion to $2.15 billion - up from a previous range of $1.84 billion to $2.07 billion.
The company’s quarterly revenue rose 40 percent to $578 million.
Sales of Orkambi and Kalydeco, Vertex’s lead cystic fibrosis treatments, totaled $336 million and $213 million, respectively, beating average analyst estimates of $318 million and $192 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening condition, where a defective gene disrupts the function of the lungs and digestive system, producing a build-up of thick, sticky mucus leading to inflammation and recurrent bacterial infections. (Reporting By Deena Beasley; editing by Susan Thomas)


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Link to July 12 Advertising Age article, "It's Time to Prepare for the End of the Web as We Know It".
Excerpt: Wither the web? It's hard to believe but soon, if not already, the web is going to become a lot less interesting to consumers -- and just as it approaches its 20th birthday.
According to Morgan Stanley, within five years global internet consumption on mobile devices will surpass the same activity on PCs. This sounds like good news. It's natural to think that browsers on the third screen (phones) and the fourth screen (tablets) will simply replace time spent in front of the same on a PC. That's not the case.
Mobile devices, by their nature, force users to become more mission-oriented. As more internet consumption shifts to gadgets, it's increasingly becoming an app world and we just live in it. Innovation, fun, simplicity and single-purpose utility will rule while grandiose design and complexity will fall by the wayside.
OK, we've got to say it again.
"Media is not a zero sum game," says Paul Saffo, a director of the Institute for the Future in Menlo Park, California. "Just because a new medium arrives doesn't mean an old medium dies out. We still have writing in an age of word processing, we still have reading in an age of video." ("In so many words: how technology reshapes the reading habit." (American Demographics, March, 1997 by Rebecca Piirto Heath.)
And the same goes for how we access information online.


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A pair of preferred digital musicians who are also distinguished NFT backers are teaming up—and drawing inspiration from their respective CryptoPunks profile photos (PFPs).
Steve Aoki and Justin “3LAU” Blau introduced today that they have formed a supergroup via their Ethereum NFTs and will release new tunes less than the title Punx. While both of those are seasoned producers with their individual respective sonic signatures, 3LAU tweeted that they prepare to supply a new design and style of electronic new music by means of their Punx collaboration.
Whilst Punx will leverage the artists’ CryptoPunks NFTs, they will not be launching NFTs of their possess for this project—at the very least not at very first. The pair formerly launched their to start with track together, “Jenny,” as an NFT in 2021.
“This isn’t an NFT,” 3LAU stated of Punx. “But that isn’t going to indicate there will never be potential moments where our tunes and blockchain tech [will] be intertwined.”
In a assertion, Aoki—who reported earlier this year that he’s produced a lot more income from NFTs than a decade of history label advances—explained that a shared passion for Net3 inspired the generation of Punx with his longtime buddy.
“Punx is a ahead-considering, conceptual musical artwork venture with a nod to the audio we really like and the tunes that formed who we are today,” Aoki reported. “Using our possess CryptoPunks in the visual imagery is just the start off of how we prepare on bringing the remarkable Internet3 neighborhood into this undertaking.”
Considering the fact that the announcement went dwell Tuesday morning, Aoki altered his Twitter profile photograph to CryptoPunk #6748—so it may perhaps be the PFP that Aoki will use as his avatar and change moi in the duo. The avid NFT collector acquired Punk #6748—which sports a purple cap and a burglar-esque eye mask—for 89.95 ETH or $147,000 in September.
3LAU’s CryptoPunk is Punk #6708, which has white hair and black sunglasses. 3LAU purchased the NFT back again in March 2021 for 29.99 ETH, which was about $51,000 at the time.
“Over the very last few decades we have navigated the crazy entire world of World wide web3 collectively,” 3LAU, also the co-founder of NFT tunes marketplace Royal, reported in a statement of his friendship with Aoki. “We just can’t hold out to share with the globe a new sound and all of the crazy strategies we have been cooking up in the studio.”
CryptoPunks holders are able to use the artwork from their owned NFTs to produce by-product artwork and merchandise, per an IP commercialization rights grant from project proprietor Yuga Labs. The firm 1st popularized the strategy in 2021 with the launch of the Bored Ape Yacht Club.
Other artists have utilized their NFT avatars to release audio, despite the fact that generally through Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. Adhering to present-day announcement, 3LAU told Decrypt why he and Aoki chose to use CryptoPunks for this collaboration.
“It hadn’t been performed on the Punk side as [much] as opposed to how quite a few Ape jobs ended up launched,” 3LAU stated. “And that is form of how Steve acquired into this area in the first area. I instructed him about all this things toward the finish of 2020, so Punks just made the most sense.”
On the Bored Ape front, EscapePlan is a DJ duo composed of two of the project’s NFT holders. Before this calendar year, they announced a partnership with artist Dillon Francis to create tunes together—and inspired Francis to get a Bored Ape of his own as a section of payment for a residency offer.
Meanwhile, Universal Songs Group’s 10:22PM label has put jointly a digital Bored Ape band referred to as Kingship, with songs from Grammy-winning producers Hit-Boy and James Fauntleroy, whilst legendary producer Timbaland released his personal output organization in 2021 to release audio from Ape-dependent artists.
Punx also joins the increasing craze of established digital dance tunes (EDM) artists teaming up underneath a joint moniker. Most notably, deadmau5—who is also into NFTs—began releasing tracks with Kaskade this year under the identify Kx5.
Editor’s be aware: This article was updated after publication to incorporate reviews from 3LAU.
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The New York Times Company and the Starbucks Coffee Company said yesterday that they had agreed to the sale of The New York Times newspapers in Starbucks stores for three years in exchange for The Times's advertising promotion of Starbucks. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The agreement calls for The Times to be sold at all American Starbucks stores. Some stores may also offer local newspapers and other national newspapers.
The Times will use its advertising resources to promote the products and retail outlets of Starbucks, which is based in Seattle. There will also be a link between The New York Times's circulation Web site (www.homedelivery.nytimes.com) and the Starbucks Web site (www.starbucks.com).Continue reading the main story


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The greatest Prizm NASCAR Racing product ever made hasn’t released yet. But it will on Friday. And when it arrives, NASCAR collectors and Prizm fans alike will have a bold new entry to sink their Optichrome-loving teeth into. Simply, one look at the images in the Quality Control Gallery that follows and you’ll learn quickly that 2020 Prizm NASCAR Racing is equipped to leave all other Prizm NASCAR products to date in the dust.
It’s not that those previous iterations are bad. They most certainly are not. It’s just that this new one is spectacular. It’s got new Prizm parallels to track, new inserts, SPs, Variations, Color Blasts and hints of the Mosaic madness that has gripped the hobby this year.
On average, each hobby box of 2020 Prizm NASCAR Racing (12 cards per pack, 12 packs per box, 12 boxes per case) will deliver four autographs, 24 Prizms, 12 inserts and 12 insert Prizms. In the revealing gallery that follows, we offer a deep dive into this year’s release. Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional coverage.
2020 Prizm NASCAR Racing will be available at the official online store of Panini America beginning Friday at 12 p.m. CST.


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Another potential release date for the ASUS Transformer Prime has presented itself, once again leaked from Gamestop who has updated their computer systems to show a new December 19th launch for the quad-core tablet. Having been a Gamestop manager in a former life, if there’s one thing I know about their expected launch dates, it’s that they are very tentative and they will attach a date to just about anything that’s been officially announced.
A tablet who’s launch date is shrouded in mystery, there has been about as much speculation on the release as the elusive Galaxy Nexus. We know for a fact that it will launch in December but it’s always nice to have a date to call off work. Word on the street is ASUS is planning to officially announce the date come December 1st so we’ll have to wait and see.


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In today’s Money Morning…are you tired of hearing about Tesla yet?…the IPO…the future is quiet…and more…
When it comes to Tesla, most people fall into one of two camps. Either you’re sick of hearing about them, or you’re a shareholder and feeling pretty smart.
The Tesla story is pretty well known, but I want to revisit it in light of a recent IPO that I think gives a bit more depth to the story and is worth reflecting on.
I promise I am not about to recommend you buy Tesla stock. That is hardly a unique recommendation and there are a million articles on why you should or shouldn’t buy Tesla already.
I am much more interested in what Tesla means for the world and for other hidden investing opportunities.
Let me explain…
Are you tired of hearing about Tesla yet?
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that Tesla has been getting a lot of attention this year. They make electric cars, but the hottest topic always seems to be its share price.
How can this young upstart that is still ramping up production be valued at four times Toyota?
To put it into perspective, in the first three quarters of this year, Tesla produced 624,582 vehicles. In December this year alone, Toyota plans to build 800,000 vehicles. Still, the production growth from Tesla has been quite impressive.
Check out the below chart:
The way I see it, there are two things driving the Tesla share price to these heights.
Firstly, Tesla isn’t just a carmaker. They’re an electric carmaker and they’re by far the leader in this technology. Electric cars are the future. The writing is on the wall. The writing is even in the law books.
Take Amsterdam, for example. The city plans to ban petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. Now, let me be very clear, they aren’t only banning new sales. If you own a petrol or diesel vehicle in 2030, it’s going to be a rather nice museum piece at best.
Europe is leading the charge on electric vehicle policy. Norway plans to ban fossil fuel new car sales by 2025 — just over three years away — while many other countries have targets to begin bans in 2030 up to 2050. A recent COP26 policy paper for banning fossil fuel car sales by 2040 — and 2035 for ‘leading markets’ — was signed by 34 countries.
It seems pretty obvious that the future of the car industry is electric, and that Tesla has a first-mover advantage.
The second thing that is driving the Tesla share price is that Tesla isn’t just a carmaker AND isn’t just an electric carmaker. They’re a technology and information company. Batteries, solar, processors, machine learning, robotics…I think you get the idea.
They’re at the forefront of several exploding technologies.
Self-driving technology itself has the potential to completely change the structure of our cities. Imagine a future where all cars are self-driving and communicating with each other all the time. Traffic will be constantly optimised by each car on the road as it communicates with every other car — a large hive mind.
Computers can have much greater control and accuracy than a human. Cars can drive millimetres apart from each other and at much higher speeds. Roads can shrink to half their current size or allow twice as many cars. Safety features on cars will become redundant as collisions all but disappear. A single car won’t just tap into its own cameras and sensors, it will use information relayed from other cars in the network to identify hazards and to plan ahead. Traffic will accelerate and decelerate in unison. Traffic lights will disappear.
Now, think about all the time we spend driving. Many of us commute for an hour or more a day. A fully self-driving future gives that time back to consumers to spend more time reading Money Morning and Exponential Stock Investor. A self-driving future is safer, more efficient, and more educated. Couple that with clean air and no more noisy diesel engines, and I think you can start to see where all the hype is coming from.
The reason I am suddenly talking about all of this is…
Discover our top three ASX-listed pot stocks in 2021. Click here to learn more.
The Rivian Automotive Inc IPO last week.
It was hotly anticipated, and it did not disappoint. The IPO priced the company at about US$66 billion, and the company ended its first week of trading at US$113 billion, making it the fifth most valuable carmaker in the world. Rivian is valued at more than GM and Ford and it hasn’t even shown any revenue.
Major shareholders include Amazon and Ford, with Amazon also placing an order for 100,000 electric vans to be delivered by 2030. Just like Tesla, demand is not going to be a problem for Rivian, it is going to be supplying that demand.
Check out this interview with the Rivian CEO on IPO day, where he discusses business structure and how they’re managing their supply chain, among other things.
Of course, Elon Musk hasn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts on Rivian. His comments below get to the heart of the issue with a large manufacturing operation like this. They need to scale up and start covering their costs as soon as possible. At the moment, Rivian is a cash-burning machine, with current expenditure to the end of 2023 expected to be about US$8 billion. Keep in mind that they haven’t shown any revenue yet.
The reason I think all of this is interesting?
The future is quiet
The way I see it, the Rivian IPO legitimises the Tesla share price. It tells us that the world is ready to go electric. It’s the future. A very quiet, internal combustion engine free future.
Now, I am not telling you to buy Tesla or Rivian shares. Do it if you want to. But they are big obvious stories that everyone is looking at.
The key for me is that the market is willing to invest in this technology, and we are only at the beginning of the adoption. The electric carmakers themselves are priced for explosive growth.
So that gets me thinking about batteries, machine learning, cameras, and sensors. We know there’s already a chip shortage for carmakers globally. So who wins from that? And what about the massive amounts of information that comes with self-driving? That requires storage and processing. How much decision-making will be made at the car, and how much will be made centrally?
I don’t have a crystal ball for answering these questions. Yet they are important questions which I would like to encourage you to start thinking about. I know I will be.
For Money Morning
PS: Our publication Money Morning is a fantastic place to start on your investment journey. We talk about the big trends driving the most innovative stocks on the ASX. Learn all about it here


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``Women have double jeopardy,`` Brenner says. ``They have lower body satisfaction, and body satisfaction is a stronger link with self-esteem.``
The worst of it is that normal women sacrifice happiness and lose productivity in pursuit of an ideal they can`t possibly achieve, Brenner says. ``Dieting takes an extraordinary amount of time. I don`t think you can talk to many women who are at their best when they`re dieting. It`s a whole way of life. It`s not productive for women who are working,`` Brenner says.
``What if they didn`t have to get up at 5 a.m. to put on their makeup, and what if they weren`t dieting? What they could do,`` Kilbourne adds.
The body business
By using abnormally thin models to sell cigarettes and low-calorie foods, marketers dishonestly imply that normal women who smoke and diet can end up looking like the models, Brenner says, when in fact the models have a body type that only genes-and no amount of dieting-can deliver.
Instead, she says, ``we either need to accept these women as unique and honor them as such or put forth an ideal that fits a more normal female body.``
What would happen if clothes manufacturers used an idealized normal female body for models, as they did 30 or 40 years ago, when Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12 dress?
``It`s always seemed to me that if they made clothes that looked good on the average woman, they`d sell more clothes,`` Kilbourne says. On the other hand, ``the diet industry would make less money. The cigarette industry would make less money, because they depend on the obsession with thinness to get women started smoking and to keep them from quitting,`` Kilbourne says.
As part of her clinical training, Brenner leads an eating-disorders support group of adolescents at Children`s Hospital in Boston. The group has sent letters of protest to several companies that use tall, skinny models to sell women products related to food and body image. So far, the letters they`ve gotten back have applauded the group for taking a stand and promised to look into marketing techniques.
Shape magazine ran a story about Brenner`s research in December and was, in what editors called a large reader response in the March issue, praised for the research and challenged to stop using such images in its own advertising and cover art.
Frankenstein with breasts
Brenner didn`t ask the models if they had silicone implants, but ``the idea that the ideal woman`s body is tall and thin with breasts`` makes it not just a genetic abnormality but a genetic impossibility that needs surgical implants in order to exist, she says.
``We are fashioning the ideal woman`s body-which is a pun,`` she says.
Though marketers drape this form with expensive clothes, jewels and perfumes, it is a synthetic, abnormal form, a kind of Frankenstein we`ve been programmed to think of as beautiful.
But ``it`s frightening,`` says Joseph G. Cunningham, the Brandeis assistant psychology professor who helped Brenner shape her research.
Cunningham talks about the way women used to control their shape by wearing stays, girdles and padded bras. ``The control is now to actually change the body, rather than to change the appearance of the body,`` he says. The control has moved inward, so that women implant breasts inside themselves rather than wear padded bras. And drug companies are trying to persuade doctors to treat shortness as a disorder, Cunningham notes, so that rather than wearing high heels-an external control-women and even children will take growth hormones.
Parts is parts
Movie stars have body doubles to play them in nude or lovemaking scenes these days.
On the popular poster of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere for the movie
``Pretty Woman,`` only Gere`s body is his own, Kilbourne points out. Roberts` head is there, but her body was replaced by a double who was seen to look more like the skinny, busty ideal.
Abnormal, composite models-silicone here, somebody else`s lower body there-are often displayed in a way that makes women want to change their shapes. Brenner cites research that has shown that after men look at graphic displays of idealized tall, skinny models, they tend to think normal women are less attractive.
Media exposure to these tall, skinny, hipless, breasty body images is so pervasive, Kilbourne says, that ``all women are judged against this ideal standard all of the time.``
Living in a house in which there is no concern about dieting is not enough to protect children from cultural saturation by these ideas, Brenner says, citing research that has shown that many 4th-grade girls have come to believe they should lose 5 to 10 pounds.
Kilbourne, who lives in Newton, Mass., agrees. ``I never diet. I never weigh myself even. I never talk about it,`` she says. And yet her daughter, who is 4, ``has already said she`s worried about being fat.``


text: Bafferts Make Whopper Of A Donation To Equine Charities by Ray Paulick|06.08.201506.09.2015|4:06pm9:51am Last year’s Triple Crown run was filled with some interesting moments “Have it your way.” That's apparently what Burger King officials told Bob Baffert after he insisted equine charities benefit from money the fast-food chain would pay to have their mascot stand behind him at the NBC Sports-televised Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Jill Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer's wife, said it was $200,000, according to Time magazine online, which did a post-Belmont Stakes interview with the couple. That's the amount the Bafferts said in a post-race press conference they were dividing up equally among four equine-related charities after American Pharoah became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Triple Crown. “We are giving $50,000 to Thoroughbred Aftercare (Alliance), CARMA of California, Old Friends $50,000 and $50,000 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys in memory of Bobby Adair, one of the greatest jockeys ever,” Bob Baffert said. “I want to share this, I want to make sure that those horses that we really love, that we have to take care of them and I just want to give back,” he continued. “So win, lose or draw, I was going to do it and, you know, Jill and I, we just really enjoy this game and I'm enjoying this game moreso than I ever have because, you know, I can just tell it's brought so much joy, just with everything.” Burger King reportedly paid $1 million for this appearance at the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight Sports Illustrated reported that Baffert turned down $150,000 from Burger King to have the mascot stand behind him at the Preakness. Industry experts said Burger King got $136,000 worth of exposure with its “royal” mascot, who had been banished to the scrap pile of bad marketing ideas four years ago. Burger King laid out a bigger dollar amount, widely reported to be at least $1-million, to have its mascot accompany Floyd Mayweather to the ring in his May 2 fight against Manny Pacquiao. No matter where the money came from, the Bafferts made a whopper of a gift to the four charities.


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Paul Thurrott is an award-winning technology journalist and blogger with over 20 years of industry experience and the author of over 25 books. He is the News Director for the Petri IT Knowledgebase, the major domo at Thurrott.com, and the co-host of three tech podcasts: Windows Weekly with Leo Laporte and Mary Jo Foley, What the Tech with Andrew Zarian, and First Ring Daily with Brad Sams. He was formerly the senior technology analyst at Windows IT Pro and the creator of the SuperSite for Windows.
Paul Thurrott's Recent Posts
Recent December, 2021 Stories
With bad news at Microsoft Edge arriving almost daily, many were ready to give up on Microsoft’s web browser. But here’s a bit of good news.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today sued to block Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition of chip designer Arm, citing competitive concerns.
Xbox touch controls are now available on over 100 Xbox Cloud Gaming titles, and they’re used by over 20 percent of gamers, Microsoft says.
Leo, Mary Jo, and Paul Edgegate, Microsoft Teams Essentials, Windows 11, and Xbox, and we take a bunch of listener questions.
Microsoft announced Teams Essentials yesterday, and it seems like a great deal at just $4 per month per user. But the firm offers an even better deal.
Apple today announced its 2021 App Store Award winners across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Apple Arcade.
Vivaldi has announced the latest major update to its flagship web browser on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android.
The old joke is that Microsoft Edge, like Internet Explorer before it, is only used once by most users, to download Google Chrome. But it’s no joke.
While the world waits for Qualcomm’s NUVIA acquisition to bear fruit, the chipset maker will foist another minor upgrade on PC users.
In October, Astropad released Luna Display 5.0, which lets Mac and Windows users use an iPad as a secondary display.
Windows 11 was released in an unfinished state back in October, and one of the key complaints was the new Start menu.
As it does every so often, Google today announced a variety of new Android features that aren’t part of a version upgrade of Pixel feature drop.
Microsoft will offer a standalone version of Teams for small businesses, called Teams Essentials, for $4 per user per month.
Today, Microsoft announced the Xbox Game Pass titles that will be coming to PC, console, and cloud in the first half of December.
The HP Chromebook x2 11 is an 11-inch Chrome OS tablet PC that offers an interesting blend of entertainment and productivity.
It looks like I’m not the only one complaining about bloatware in Microsoft Edge: Microsoft’s customers are pushing back too.
At its Snapdragon Tech Summit 2021, Qualcomm announced the successor to the Snapdragon 888, which comes with new branding.
Amazon said that it saw record-breaking sales during the Black Friday period, including Cyber Monday. And some sales are ongoing.
The redesigned Paint app for Windows 11 is terrible, but Microsoft is apparently working to make it a little bit better. Just a little bit.
Thanks to some Amazon gift cards and the Black Friday sale, I’ve upgraded my more mobile computing setup pretty significantly. Here’s a quick peek.
Microsoft will bring an Xbox Cloud Gaming feature called Clarity Boost to its Microsoft Edge web browser in the coming months.
Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has resigned from the firm after a 16-year run. He was replaced by Parag Agrawal, the former CTO.
The latest report from AdDuplex shows that Windows 11 has been installed on almost 9 percent of PCs out in the world.
Google today revealed its favorite apps and games across phones, tablets, wearables, and Google TV from the Play Store in 2021.
Spotify confirmed this weekend that it is retiring the Car View feature of its mobile app, which made it easier to use while driving.
Like many of you, I pay attention to the Black Friday deals on personal technology every year. But this time is a bit different.
Google has agreed to create its upcoming Privacy Sandbox “with regulatory oversight and input” from the UK CMA.


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Infinix Zero 5G Confirmed to Launch in India on February 4, Zero E book Extremely Microsite Additionally Surfaces
Infinix introduced on Sunday that the Infinix Zero 5G 2023 smartphone will launch in India on February 4. This mid-range mannequin was launched within the world markets in December final 12 months. It comes with a 6.78-inch full-HD+ IPS LTPS show that provides a 120Hz refresh fee. Beneath the hood, the Infinix Zero 5G 2023 packs a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G SoC. In associated information, a microsite for the Infinix Zero E book Extremely laptop computer has gone dwell on Flipkart. The itemizing doesn’t reveal its launch date, nevertheless, it confirms the specs of the laptop computer forward of launch.
Infinix revealed through a tweet on Sunday that the Infinix Zero 5G 2023 will debut in India on February Four and will probably be offered through Flipkart. The handset has already debuted in different international locations, the place it prices $239 (roughly Rs. 19,500). It is available in Black, Orange, and White color choices. This Infinix smartphone will boot Android 12-based XOS 12 out-of-the-box.
Get able to witness an influence shift that is not like something you’ve got skilled earlier than!🔮
The quickest 5G cellphone in its phase, Infinix Zero 5G 2023 is nearly right here. 🌌
Launching on 4th February, solely on @Flipkart#Zero5G2023 pic.twitter.com/kvWvKs4IFe
— Infinix India (@InfinixIndia) January 22, 2023
The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 will get a 6.78-inch full-HD+ IPS LTPS show with a 120Hz refresh fee. It’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G SoC, coupled with an Arm Mali-G68 MC4 GPU. For optics, this handset contains a 50-megapixel triple rear digicam setup and a front-facing 16-megapixel sensor with twin entrance flash. It packs a 5,000mAh battery with help for 33W quick charging.
As well as, a microsite for the Infinix Zero E book Extremely has surfaced on Flipkart. Infinix has not revealed the launch date of this laptop computer, nevertheless, it’s anticipated to reach quickly. Its pricing data remains to be beneath wraps as nicely. This upcoming laptop computer will probably be powered by as much as 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processors.
There will probably be as much as 32GB of LPDDR5 high-performance RAM. The Infinix Zero E book Extremely may even get twin SSD suitable with as much as 1TB PCIe 4.zero SSD storage. It should characteristic the OverBoost efficiency swap and a fingerprint sensor.
This text was initially revealed by ndtv.com. Learn the unique article right here.


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SATO, a leading global provider of Auto-ID solutions that empower workforces and streamline operations announced today that it has acquired the general labeling business of Jenkins Labels Limited, a leader in primary label production operating in Auckland, New Zealand. The labeling businesses acquired include primary labels, shrink sleeve labels, and wraparound labels.
SATO New Zealand (SNZ) already has a substantial labeling and traceability business headquartered in Auckland, with offices in Christchurch and Dunedin. It counts many of New Zealand’s largest organizations amongst its customer base, and has been in operation in this market for over 40 years by virtue of the prior acquisitions of Checkpoint Meto and Walker Datavision.
The primary label business of Jenkins will serve to complement SNZ’s existing capability in the areas of operational labeling, courier labeling, laboratory labeling, printers, barcode scanning and traceability solutions.
“Jenkins has been a front-runner in the labeling business in New Zealand for many years” says Kerry Langley, SATO New Zealand’s Managing Director. “Their commitment to innovation and delivering customer value has allowed them to solidify their position, particularly in beverage and food labeling solutions. We are extremely proud to welcome them into the SATO Group, and aim to continue delivering superior primary labels while leveraging our global network to open new opportunities for our customers.”
Jenkins Labels’ sister company, Jenkins Freshpak Systems, will continue to operate independently and deliver industry-specific solutions to the horticulture market in New Zealand and Australia. To this end, SATO and Jenkins Freshpak have formed a strategic partnership to expand services to horticulture customers to include printing and traceability solutions.
“We are constantly striving to reinforce our network of solution providers to bring customized labeling solutions to customers,” said Kaz Matsuyama, President and CEO of SATO Holdings. “This acquisition of a proven market leader boosts our network and lineup to improve our ability to deliver comprehensive labeling solutions to New Zealand customers.”


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The first "L'Orto di Eleonora" melons and watermelons have been available for the past two weeks. Sales started off slowly and have increased only in the past few days: "It seems the weather is finally improving. The sunny weather and increased temperatures help push sales and, thanks to the fact restrictions have somewhat been lifted all over Italy, these products tend to be consumed more as they make us think of summer," explains Salvatore Lotta, general director of O.P. Agricola Campidanese, owner of the "L'Orto di Eleonora" brand.
"We started off with netted melons and mini-watermelons, but the first supplies of Eleonora (black seedless watermelons) and Piel De Sapo will start this week. In June it will be the turn of Majores and Corallo, while the harvesting of Gavina watermelons will start in mid-June. The first volumes destined abroad will leave over the next few days headed to Switzerland, the Netherlands and other northern European countries. The feedback we have received from domestic big retail chains has been very positive not only for grades and shapes, but also for Brix level and shelf-life."
"The abundant rain in March and April has affected our transplant schedule, but luckily has not caused huge delays. Quotations are a little lower than last year, when temperatures were higher and sales were livelier. The campaign will peak in late June but, thanks to staggered productions, the fruit will be available until late September."


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Nest Labs Inc. has apparently bought itself some time in its patent fight with Honeywell International Inc. and this month rolled out a new version of the “smart thermostat” at the center of the dispute.
Richard Lutton, general counsel at the Palo Alto startup, said on Oct. 2 that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected claims on six of seven patents that Honeywell said Nest is violating. He said he expects a similar ruling on the seventh, which deals with controlling temperatures based on utility company rates and other settings, within weeks.
“We feel that these patents should not have been granted in the first place, as we said in our response to Honeywell’s lawsuit,” Lutton said.
Nest asked regulators to re-examine the seven patents in July in a move that Honeywell dismissed as common and inconclusive.
“A majority of patents that are challenged via the re-examination process are initially accepted by the Patent Office — and a majority of those re-examined are affirmed as valid,” Honeywell said in a prepared statement, saying it stands by its claims of patent infringement. “We are confident the Patent Office will affirm the validity of our patented intellectual property related to thermostat technology.”
The judge in the patent case filed in February stayed the trial pending the re-examination, which Honeywell and others say could take up to two years to resolve.
Regardless of which way the Patent Office rules, legal experts say that more litigation is likely. If the Patent Office overturns the patents, Honeywell could take that decision to court and it doesn’t mean the original case won’t go forward.
“There is a debate about whether to ask for re-examination in patent disputes,” said Santa Clara University School of Law professor Brian Love. “Some patent defense lawyers prefer never to do it at all.”
The reason for that, Love said, is that the patent holder could come back with a narrower definition for their intellectual property that the patent office upholds. “What you could end up with as a result of re-examination is a stronger patent when the case gets to trial.”
Lutton, who worked as Apple Inc.’s patent legal chief before joining Nest, said he has asked for patent re-examination before in order to clear the air in a dispute.
“I feel the patent office takes re-examination very seriously, it’s a good process to turn to and it’s a cost-effective response to patent litigation,” Lutton said. “Patent litigation once it gets to court is extremely expensive, lengthy and fraught with concerns about the outcome all along the way.”
Whatever the outcome of the patent re-examination, Nest is busily building its business, unveiling a second version of its $249 smart thermostat on Oct. 2. The new version is thinner and can take advantage of more advanced cooling and heating options that more affluent home owners are using.
The new thermostats are available online through Nest, Amazon.com or Apple Inc. and in Lowe’s Home Improvement stores.
Nest co-founder Tony Faddell, who helped to shape the iPod and iPhone while at Apple, said the new device hits a high end of the market that the original smart thermostat didn’t work in. Like the original, it can be controlled through a smartphone, tablet or Web browser.
In addition to its Apple connections, Nest has a powerful list of investors in its court as well, including Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Intertrust, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Shasta Ventures and former Vice President Al Gore.


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KIM Kardashian has committed possibly one of her biggest fashion crimes to date, after she was spotted wearing none other than a pair of Adidas popper tracksuit bottoms.
She paired the vintage sportswear with a slinky lace top, fishnet stockings and heels, making for one seriously odd-looking outfit.
The reality star was leaving the Givenchy office in Paris, France with her sister Kourtney and husband Kanye West where she was spotted in a bizarre ensemble, which she finished off with an embellished black and gold choker and sleek straight hair.
Not daring to draw attention from her bold new fashion choice, she opted for a subtle smokey eye and matte nude lip.
Taking fashion tips from 90s Scottish NED culture seems to be a running theme where the Kardashian-West’s wardrobes are concerned.
Kanye West was seen last month wearing tracksuit bottoms with his socks pulled over the bottom - a signature look of any Scottish NED worth their salt.
And now the famous Kardashian is following the new “trend”, opting to give it a more classy look with lace and heels.
Fortunately the look was only temporary, and she was soon back to her sexy, ‘bare-all’ self as she donned a mesh catsuit which caressed her famous curves perfectly, helping her to steal the show at the Balmain Spring/Summer 2017 event.


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The days of easy money are over, at least for now.
For much of the past decade, investors have been able to pour money into the market and almost always see their balances increase. And after two short months of recession in 2020, stocks have resumed their uptrend, hitting record highs, until recently.
With the highest inflation rate in 40 years, interest rates rising, stock market indices plunging into double digits and economic uncertainty, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a place to invest in stocks. and get a decent return.
But financial advisers say it’s still possible. The first tip: when the economy changes, investors must change with it.
“We encourage investors to embrace the realities of this new environment,” said John Lynch, chief investment officer at Comerica Wealth Management.
With that mindset in place, here are tips to help you find the best stocks to invest in now.
Soaring gas prices:Gas prices climb again to record high, but refineries not oil prices are driven
To buy a house ? :How the housing market in 2022 could turn in your favor
The target is hit:Target plan discounts, shift inventory to match spending changes as inflation soars
What stock should I buy in 2022?
Without low interest rates and low inflation to fuel growth and tech stocks, investors should start turning to value stocks, experts say.
Value stocks tend to be overlooked by investors during bull markets for high-flying growth and tech stocks, making them undervalued relative to their balance sheets, earnings growth and cash flows. Treasury.
But now that these high-flyers are in the dumps, investors should re-examine value stocks, experts said. During tumultuous times, they tend to be stable investments with long-term growth potential, as companies are usually mature with reliable earnings and sales growth and may even pay dividends.
When the market is upside down and capital gains are hard to come by, financial advisers advise considering dividend-paying stocks. Not only do they tend to be less volatile than non-dividend paying stocks, but they can also provide you with stable income in times of uncertainty.
Or if you reinvest the dividends, you will benefit from the power of compounding. Using your dividends to buy more stocks that pay more dividends will increase your money exponentially.
PROTECT YOUR NEST:Do you fear a recession? So do these 3 retreat moves now.
COVER AGAINST INFLATION:Worried about the Fed rate hike? Savers can fight back with these 9.6% inflation-resistant U.S. bonds
If you hold the stock long enough, the dividends of most companies whose stocks are traded on major US stock exchanges are also often tax-efficient. In some cases, qualified dividends will be exempt from tax, but they will still be taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income.
Dividends can also be used to hedge against inflation, especially if they increase steadily.
“It’s important to note that we are targeting stocks with dividend increases at or above the rate of inflation,” said Daniel Milan, managing partner of Cornerstone Financial Service. “If your income is growing at around or above inflation, that’s a solid recipe for success.”
Devon Energy, which has consistently increased its dividend to $1.27 per share this month from $0.34 in June 2021, is a favorite along with Blackstone which increased its dividend to $1.32 in April from 0, $82 the same month last year. Hershey also raised its dividend to $0.901 in May from $0.804 a year earlier.
Buy what consumers need, not what they want
Another tip is to watch what consumers are buying and follow their lead, experts say. During tough economic times, consumers shift their spending towards daily necessities and away from non-essentials.
“Health care and basic consumer goods, things people need to buy like food and household supplies, things you would buy regardless of the economic environment,” said Mychal Campos, investment manager at the financial services company Betterment. “These sectors hold up in recessionary environments.”
BEAT INFLATION:Profit during inflation? These 5 tips could help investors beat rising prices
INVEST IN SLOWDOWN:How to invest in a bear market when the S&P 500 is slightly above the threshold
Other recession-proof investments include commodities and energy, which include companies like Chevron and Exxon, Campos said. Utilities are also another option that falls into this category, but also pays dividends, he noted.
Another that might surprise you is Altria, Milan said. Altria manufactures and sells tobacco products and is classified as a consumer staple company.
“It’s resistant to inflationary and recessionary pressures, I guess, because you can sell more bad stuff when people are stressed,” Milan said.
Medora Lee is a money, markets and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] and sign up for our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news Monday through Friday mornings.


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Fifty years ago, William Uckele founded Uckele Animal Health Distributing, Inc. as a dealer supplying feed for livestock to provide an ancillary source of income for his large farming operation. Today, the corporation he founded is known worldwide as Uckele Health & Nutrition, Inc, and is led by his grandson, Michael Uckele, CEO. The company now manufactures product lines for horses, dogs and people under the Uckele name, as well as manufacture for over 100 contract/private label companies featuring thousands of innovative, proprietary formulas to address every nutritional need.
To celebrate Uckele's growth and success over the past 50 years, the company announces improved shipping rates, a new Uckele brand product launch and a fresh, new look for their logo. "My grandfather strongly believed in healthy living." says Mike Uckele, CEO. "He also deeply believed in treating the customer as he wanted to be treated. Fifty years later, the Uckele Team still believes these values to be true. And while proud of our heritage and many accomplishments leading to this important anniversary year, Uckele actively moves forward, working toward the vision of Optimal Health, Worldwide."
To recognize longtime, loyal customers in the fifty year celebration, Uckele will now offer improved shipping rates. All orders over $150 will ship free and rates will never be more than $9.95 flat rate on Uckele brand products. In addition, Uckele will offer 50 weekly product specials throughout the year.
The new Uckele logo reflects the company's rich history of quality and integrity and Uckele's future vision of optimal health worldwide through excellence, scientific innovation and service. The company name and traditional blue remain strong focal points, while hinting toward the future and Uckele's dedication to further developing their leading edge nutritional product lines. Uckele's 7/21 Detox Kit will launch for the human product line. This proprietary formula was developed to help the body with the enormoustask of cleansing the numerous toxins it is exposed to on a daily basis. The new equine U-Balance product line was developed to simplify the supplement program and target individual needs to take the guesswork out of which formulas will deliver the most effective, specific, streamlined support for each individual horse. Uckele Health & Nutrition has been the recipient of the 2011 Michigan Small Business Person of the Year, was listed on the 2011, 2010 and 2009 Inc. 500/5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in America, the 2009 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics for NW Ohio and SE Michigan, and the 2008 Winner of the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.


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* FTSEurofirst 300 up 0.1 pct, 1 pct off highest in almost 6 years
* LVMH Q1 sales give luxury goods sector a boost
* M&S shares rise after trading update, then fall back
By Tricia Wright
LONDON, April 10 (Reuters) - European shares inched higher on Thursday after minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting suggested it would be less inclined than anticipated to raise interest rates.
Luxury goods makers surged as Louis Vuitton owner LVMH posted better-than-expected quarterly sales in a key division, easing concerns over the potential impact of turmoil in emerging markets.
“(LVMH‘s) trading statement highlights further acceleration in Fashion & Leather/Vuitton, a very positive outcome in a context of weak trends as seen or expected at soft luxury peers - Prada, Gucci brand, Hugo Boss, Tod‘s. This should be sufficient to support the shares near-term,” Citi analysts wrote in a note.
Shares in LVMH rose 4 percent, Gucci owner Kering was up 2.1 percent, Christian Dior advanced 2.7 percent, while Richemont progressed by 1.8 percent.
The Fed minutes had fuelled a rally on Wall Street. The market pushed out expectations of a first Fed rate hike by about six weeks, to July 2015, trading in interest-rate futures showed.
“This does continue to make me believe that equities are the best play in town,” said Lex van Dam, hedge fund manager at Hampstead Capital.
The FTSEurofirst 300 was up 0.1 percent at 1,339.87 points by 1138 GMT, in choppy trade which saw the index swing between 1,329-1,345. Traders pinned earlier weakness on a big sale of Euro STOXX 50 futures.
The index gains built on a 0.4 percent rise on Wednesday when concerns about valuations, which triggered a steep sell-off earlier in the week, started to ease. It is now around 1 percent off near six-year highs hit on Friday.
The Euro STOXX 50 was flat at 3,183.33 points. It is just 1.7 percent below 5-1/2 year highs reached on Friday.
The STOXX 50 has found strong support over the last couple of days just beneath 3,180, a previous level of resistance.
Alpari analyst Craig Erlam said this suggests that the pull-back seen earlier this week “was just a shallow correction and the uptrend will resume”, though added that Friday’s high of 3,239 will need to be broken in order to confirm this.
Above this, he targets 3,277 followed by 3,329.
Marks & Spencer bucked the firmer market trend, shedding 1.6 percent to reflect concerns about profit margins and disappointment that Chief Executive Marc Bolland said investors would have to wait until 2013-14 results are published on May 20 for any strategic update.
Shares in the British retailer rose as much as 3.3 percent in early trading after it said clothing sales at stores open over a year increased 0.6 percent in the 13 weeks to March 29.
Europe bourses in 2014: link.reuters.com/pap87v
Asset performance in 2014: link.reuters.com/gap87v
Today’s European research round-up (Additional reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Hugh Lawson)


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The acquisition was announced on stage at the Xbox press conference, where Schafer joked about his studio’s commitment to doing “Forza stuff” and “Excel stuff” for Microsoft. It was a good bit, but it raised some legitimate concerns about the future of certain Double Fine projects. Since long-awaited sequel Psychonauts 2 and top-down adventure title Rad were both already in production at the time of the acquisition, it looks like both those games will still receive the wide releases they originally promised. Rad, the latest game by Stacking and Headlander director Lee Petty, will still be published by Bandai Namco, but Microsoft bought the publishing rights to Psychonauts 2 from original publisher Starbreeze Studios for $13.2 million as part of the acquisition.
Double Fine and Microsoft already have a history together, and it’s not a happy one, so the purchase raised a few eyebrows. The first Psychonauts was originally an Xbox exclusive with considerable personal support from Xbox architect Ed Fries. When Fries left Microsoft in 2004, the company cancelled its relationship with Double Fine, leaving the title without a publisher. Majesco Entertainment eventually published the game on Xbox and Windows in 2005.
Schafer told Gamasutra he forgives Microsoft for its past mistreatment of his studio, “They felt bad about it, and now they made good on that.” In the same way that Fries was once instrumental in the relationship between Microsoft and Double Fine, Schafer now points to people like Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, and head of Xbox Phil Spencer as being personally invested in the success of the studio and not just treating it like a game development gulag. Under their guidance, Schafer claims the culture at Xbox is becoming friendlier towards smaller and more offbeat developers. “It’s not just one person, it’s these teams and a philosophy that permeates all of Xbox Studios… according to them it goes all the way to the top, of treating these acquired companies right.”
Schafer also praised Microsoft’s hands-off approach to studio acquisition. “I think they’ve had a commitment to a new way of acquiring companies which is, kind of an unplugged studio approach, where they’re not merged into the larger corporate entity,” he said. “They want us to retain our identity, our spirit, that’s what they want us to bring into the fold.”
This would make Microsoft’s new approach to the matter a sort of polar opposite to EA’s notoriously cutthroat method, especially during the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, of purchasing, micromanaging, and eventually shuttering smaller studios.
Mostly, Schafer seems pleased that being under the umbrella of a larger parent company will allow Double Fine to focus on making games rather than scraping for funding or scrambling for publishers. “The great thing about the acquisition is it lets us refocus,” he said. “For me, I’m going to be focusing on Psychonauts 2, Lee is going to be focusing on Rad, and then we can think about new games, and being able to develop them, and being in a place where we can pursue strange new ideas.”
It’s unlikely that any of those new games will end up on anything other than Xbox and Windows, but the future of the studio looks exciting all the same. Psychonauts 2 comes out next year for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Rad comes out Aug. 20 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and Steam.


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Medulla makes three new hires, sets ‘creative leadership’ team
Ropes in Abhinay Patil, Ritu Sinha and Subash Franklin
Mar 02, 2017 03:35:00 AM | Article | Campaign India Team
After creating a mark for itself on the global stage of healthcare communication, Medulla Communications is now taking the battle for talent to mainstream agencies
Medulla has beefed up its creative team by roping in Abhinay Patil and Ritu Sinha as creative directors Subhas Franklin as senior director, Consumer Healthcare. The trio have joined from Grey, Contract and DDB Mudra Group respectively.
Patil and Sinha join Vinayak Shinde, creative director, Medulla in the creative leadership team at the agency. Amit Akali continues to lead the team as CCO.
Speaking with Campaign India, Praful Akali, founder-director, Medulla Communications, explains that the agency has roped in talent from mainline agencies to augment its fire power while pitching against mainstream agencies for new business.
He says, “With the appointments, we now have the talent that a mainline agency would be proud off. Getting them into specialists was difficult. We had also tried to bring in talent like this in the past, but didn’t succeed. The folks we were getting weren’t as talented or not the dream team we wanted.”
Akali claims that the agency has been able to rope in the talent because of a cumulative effect of the awards it won last year. The awards he refers to include the agency’s ‘Healthcare Agency of the Year’ title at the Cannes Lions in 2016.
Amit Akali, said, “Hiring from mainline advertising will help us push the creative boundaries in healthcare. We are excited to have them on board.”
Medulla Healthcare currently has about 60 employees. The agency claims to have 15-20 clients on a retainer basis.
“We have built the agency ground-up. We’ve made junior and mid-level hires too recently. We are well differentiated for the pharma clients and consumer healthcare clients. The work on consumer advertising has been sporadic since we have been competing with mainline agencies too. Now, we have a package that includes folks from these agencies and are ready to do consumer advertising. We want to get a lot more businesses now, especially on consumer healthcare advertising,” says Praful Akali.
After bagging the agency of the year accolade at Cannes Lions last year, expectations would be high again this year. Praful confesses that he doesn’t expect results to be matching last year’s level. He says “We have entries that are being put together for Cannes. The past year we have focused more on the business and expanding the team. We did things for the long term business perspective and invested a lot more time on that. We’ve built our credentials on the awards front, now we want to convert them into work."


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SEOUL -- Hyundai Mobis overthrew the traditional concept of the grille that allows air to enter or exit while protecting the vehicle's radiator and engine by introducing innovative technologies such as light-emitting diode (LED) lighting that can utilize the entire grill as a lighting device to communicate with other vehicles or create unique design effects.
The LED lighting technology developed by the parts-making wing of South Korea's Hyundai auto group can implement various scenarios such as an autonomous driving mode, an electric vehicle charging mode, a welcome light function, and the display of emergency warning light.
The vehicle's grill can be used as a means of communicating with other vehicles or pedestrians and create unique design effects using lighting patterns, Hyundai Mobis said, adding it is working on the verification of reliability for commercialization. The company would push for mass production in 2022.
In addition, Hyundai Mobis developed an "active air flap" technology that can open and close the grill depending on operating conditions. As the grill itself moves depending on the coolant temperature, it automatically controls the inflow of driving wind for engine and motor cooling. The new technology can improve the heating efficiency of vehicles, reduce the resistance of air and realize differentiated design patterns.
"In response to changes in future car trends, we will continue to introduce innovative products that combine technology completeness and emotional quality to global markets," Hyundai Mobis' module lab head Lee Woo-il said in a statement on June 17.
In 2020, Hyundai Mobis unveiled a virtual engine sound system using the grille as a vibrating plate to reduce weight, size and cost. Usually, speakers consist of an actuator that generates real sound and a vibrating board that propagates the sound to the outside. Hyundai Mobis attached the actuator to the back of the front grille cover and used the grille itself as a vibrating plate.
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Escape to the edge of the galaxy.
Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, and they are making good return on their investment. The new movies alone cover almost half of that amount (after taking into account cost of production), while Disney's other Star Wars-themed adventures have proven lucrative as well. The House of the Mouse opened up the Star Wars theme park Galaxy's Edge this past year in Orlando and Anaheim. Although the parks have not been a massive hit, yet, it's still early. Disney is still opening new rides in both parks, and now, they have announced the opening of a Star Wars-themed hotel within the park.
According to a new blog post, the hotel will open its doors in 2021, and will involve a “2-night, all-immersive adventure” that brings guests to “a galaxy far far away.” Entitled Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the hotel will be a full immersion experience. Upon arrival at a simulated space dock, visitors will be transported onto a cruiser known as the Halcyon, a “massive ship that is much too large to land on any planet.” During their stay, guests will be treated to a number of activities on board such as lightsaber training, drinks at the Silver C Lounge, or an adventure in the Engineering Room. From the hotel, guests have immediate access to the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, which is the Galaxy’s Edge theme park, via “transport ships” that maintain the completely-immersive experience.


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Aston Martin and Zagato have shared an enduring, nearly 60-year-long partnership that began with the DB4 and most recently included speedster and shooting-brake versions of the Vanquish. We now have reason to believe that the creative partnership will carry on, extending next to a very significant model.
In a recent conversation with Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer, we asked about the recent collaborations with the famed Italian design house. Palmer told us that the plan for this year’s Monterey Car Week had been to release the speedster, limited to a hyperexclusive 28 examples. But the shooting brake was an altogether different story.
“This year we have Zagato Volante,” he said, “and at Pebble Beach you saw the convertible, speedster, coupe, and the shooting brake. That one is a proper estate car. It’s the same as all the Zags, so basically a Vanquish S underneath, [around] 600 horsepower, 99 total [units]. Two weeks before Pebble, I asked for [the shooting brake], and we came to Pebble and sold it out, based on sketches. No one had seen the model. And the thinking behind it was, I wanted to put a car out there that wasn’t already sold out. So nobody knew about that beforehand, they knew about it two days before Pebble. And in the weekend, it was sold out. All based on a sketch.”
We asked Palmer: Considering all of the recent interest, and the fact that the current Zagato offerings are sold out, are there plans for a new collaboration or anything in the works?
“Well, I’ve got one other that we’re knocking around at the moment,” he said. “But it may be a couple of years before we do something more. Whatever it is, it won’t be on the Vanquish platform.” His stating that it wouldn’t be on the VH architecture on which the Vanquish was based had us asking if we could expect the next collaboration to be based on a car we had just driven—specifically the DB11. He replied, “That would be the platform that we’d use, yes.”
Not confirming the DB11 by name leaves open the possibility for Aston to use any of its future models. But the next-gen Vantage is still testing, has yet even to be officially revealed, and won’t go on sale until sometime next year. The next Vanquish is even further down the line. The DB11 would be a natural candidate, and with its long hood, wide body, and alluring proportions, we can already picture Zagato’s signature “double bubble” gracing the roof. Carbon-fiber body panels and Z-motif quilting on the interior could be included as well.
- Fully Revealed: Stunning 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante!
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Palmer suggested the next Zagato model could be a couple of years away, but with all of the interest typically generated by the partnership, we wouldn’t rule out a reveal during the 2018 Pebble Beach weekend. Regardless of when the car will make its debut, if history is any indicator it’s almost guaranteed to be stunning, to be offered for sale in hyperlimited numbers, and to carry a substantial price premium.